


What Do I Do Now?

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-04
Updated: 2006-03-03
Packaged: 2018-08-15 23:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8076796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Trip's surprise birthday party contains a true surprise! Tucker/f. (08/22/2004)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: In 2002, this story was the second of two. The character became so popular that it is now the sixth (as of 8/2004) of a series of ten, making extensive revisions necessary to fit into the development of the 'Tia Anlor' series, due to the insertions of four stories, and to maintain consistency with the (so far) four to follow.  
  
This story takes place a month and a half after my story 'Golden Girl', a month after 'A Few Words' and 'Glistni' and 'Small Time', and two weeks after 'Acquisition.' Tia has been aboard for some 6 weeks.  


* * *

Tia Anlor, the Enterprise's biologist, left her quarters at exactly 17:53. She noted the time carefully, wanting to make certain that she would catch Commander Tucker as he was leaving Engineering. She had learned his habits, knowing that it took a lot to drag him away from his engines. Fortunately, she knew that if she timed it just right, she would be able to catch him just as he was coming out the door.

She had something special in mind, and had been thinking about it all afternoon, hoping to get his opinion, and his approval. She was not sure why it should mean so much to her, but it did.

She had to admit that she found him...she didn't know how she found him. He was not like anyone she had ever known. But then again, two human months ago she had never known any humans. Why then did this particular human's opinion of her mean so much?

She touched the material of the red dress she wore with a golden fingertip. It was a long, flowing red gown, cut low in the back and only covering her chest with two wide strips that met behind her neck, under her flowing golden hair. It was long; so long she needed red slippers with high heels to keep from tripping over the hem. Hoshi Sato had had loaned it to her, telling her it was excellent for special occasions.

She had to trust the other woman's opinion in this, not having any idea how humans dressed or what they considered 'special'. All that she did know was that tonight was considered a 'special' occasion by some of the Command crew, so she wore this in hopes of fitting in.

The shoes had required particular practice to wear without falling over the hem. In fact, just walking had been a challenge. She had fallen several times in her quarters before she got used to them, but she felt confident she had everything under control.  
It had not been an easy task, this 'fitting in'. Sometimes she felt she was doing very badly, sometimes she knew she was. She was good at her job, but these people were not Aurans. She had been a slave to the Silurians, who 'harvested' her people for the gold that to them was like the iron in the bodies of these humans. It was that gold that gave her the distinctive golden complexion. Eyes and hair. Where humans were a very strange mixture usually based on some variety of reddish pink, her people were various shadings of gold, a much more attractive pigment. Although, she had to admit, she found that this red complimented her golden skin very impressively.

Anyway, she had been freed by the people of this ship, in exchange for a massive amount of gold, more than she could 'repay' in twenty lifetimes, better than 1,027 years! But they not only did not want repayment, they had granted her her freedom unconditionally.

Having nowhere to go, she had sought permission to remain aboard Enterprise, using her skills as a Biologist to aid the crew and 'carry her weight'. No, fitting in professionally was not the problem; it was in learning their language (she could speak but not read it) and treading her way through the various muddy complexities of human relationships and behavior that was the problem.

But she thought she was, as Shar-les would say, just about getting the 'hang of it'.

Finding herself outside Engineering, surprised to have arrived while so lost in thought, she entered, the door sliding aside automatically to admit her. She'd hardly taken five steps into the chamber, the red gown swirling around her legs when she heard it, a sharp whistle that ascended quickly up the scale and then slid down it in a long arc. She recognized it as one that Hoshi had once described as intending to express appreciation, which pleased her because appreciation was what she had been hoping to elicit. But she could not understand the clear annoyance in Charles' sharp tones. "Hey! There's a lady present!"

"That's the idea, sir." Charles turned away from her toward the other man. Tia could not see his expression, but it clearly had a strong effect on the other man. "Sorry, sir." He said in an apologetic tone, and then looked at her. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"I am offended not." She assured him in her melodious tones, trying to take off some of the sting he must be feeling. Tucker turned to her, and his expression softened as he took in the sight of her.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "You look spectacular."

"Thank you, Shar-les." She said, suddenly unable to meet his eyes, looking down shyly. "I was you would like it hoping." She looked up cautiously, and was pleased to see the answer in his eyes.

"It's absolutely stunning."

"Wear it I was to your party going to, if like it you did." She said quietly through veiled eyes.

"Party?" He asked, taken aback.

"Yes, tonight. Hoshi told me about it. Your...what the word was? Yes, 'birthday' party."

"Birthday party?" He hadn't known that they had even known it was his birthday. He sensed Hoshi's hand in this, remembering a time not so long ago that she had been involved in an elaborate scheme regarding Malcolm Reed's celebration.

"Yes, she told me. It a...what did she say? Yes: 'Prize' Party is."

"'Surprise' party?" He ventured.

"Ah, yes, 'surprise party'. Sorry I am, my English still good is not. It was I thought 'prize'."

"Well, anyone can make a mistake. Your English is coming along very well." She looked down.

"You me flatter. I know are there times I flibs still make."

"Flubs?"

"Ah, see? 'Flubs', 'flibs', so hard to keep straight. Sometimes open I my mouth and go off with half a cock."

How Tucker maintained a straight face he never knew, but it was a struggle; one that one of his crew completely lost. Fortunately, the man had the sense to smother it as he stepped behind the Warp reactor.

"Well, I, err, I'll see you later? We've a lot of work to do before the party."

"All right, Shar-les. I later see you will." She took his hand, turning it upward so she might touch her lips briefly to the pulse point at his wrist, then turned, heading for the door.

"Oh, Tia?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell anyone you spoke to me about the party. Trust me."

"All right, Shar-les," she smiled, saying softly, "I you trust."

When she was gone, Tucker's aide turned to him. "Surprise."

"Don't worry, Billy. I will be."

Looking after where the pixyish girl had gone, Billy assured him: "I'm sure you will."


	2. Girl Talk

After Tia left Engineering, heading back toward her quarters, she encountered Ensign Sato & Crewwoman Cutler. These two had been closer than most to her since her arrival, helping her to adjust to her new life and settling a lot of confusions. "Hi, Tia!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Dampris qulara! Um, Good evening, I mean." She greeted both of them as she had Trip, a touch of her lips to their wrists, something they had grown used to though both felt it disingenuous to try to copy. Hoshi had noticed, however, that while she greeted several of the crew she considered friends in the same manner, the touch was sometimes the briefest of contact, sometimes a second longer. When she did it with Trip, however, Hoshi could not help but notice that the touch seemed to...linger.

Tia fell in step between the two taller women.

"I'm glad we found you." Liz told her section mate. "We're coming into orbit of a Minshara-class planet. We've picked out a likely spot for both flora & fauna, and the Captain wants to send down a survey team come planet dawn. Interested?"

"Yes!"

"0700."

"I ready shall be!"

"So. Visiting Engineering?" Hoshi asked with a clear undertone that made it plain she knew it was not the department the younger woman had been visiting.

"Yes, I Shar-les opinion wanted of this dress to get. I wear it to the party you are planning want to."

"You look beautiful in it."

"One man so thought. He at me whistled."

"He did?" Elizabeth sounded delighted.

"Yes, he like this did it." She imitated the tones.

"Ah, the classic wolf whistle." Hoshi said with a confidential grin.

"Wolves like that whistle? Thought I Earth wolves barked and howled did."

"Err, they do. But...well, we'll go into all this another time, o.k.?"

"O.k." She was silent for several moments as they walked down the corridor, debating if she wanted to raise the point, and deciding she should. "May I ulyans; no, wait. May I you a 'question' ask?"

"Of course."

"Shar-les very angry with the man who whistled was. Do know you why?" Hoshi and Elizabeth exchanged glances, not wanting to be the one who answered first. Finally, Hoshi bit the bullet.

"You do tend to ask the tough questions."

"Sorry I am."

"No, don't be. It wasn't a criticism. Let's see. One reason might be that it is considered inappropriate for the workplace."

"Safe dodge." Elizabeth commented.

"Do better."

"Well, Trip probably considered that the guy was poaching."

"'Poaching'?"

"Boy, are you opening a can of worms." Hoshi muttered, shaking her head ruefully. They could see from her expression that Tia was trying to work out this idea, but Elizabeth gave her no time to waste on it.

"You've been seeing a lot of Trip, haven't you?"

"A lot of him? No. Seen I his head and his hands have. He his uniform at all times we are together wears."

"Oh, this is going to be good." Hoshi muttered even more quietly.

"No, I mean you've been hanging out a lot."

Tia looked down. Though the material started low at her waist, it came up in two wide strips that quite securely covered both her breasts, even with the gap between the strips. She had been assured that this was well within the norms of human decency, even if it did have nothing to do with the Auran view of 'appropriate attire'. She looked at Hoshi. "I have those portions of my body that you and I discussed covered in public kept."

Elizabeth looked imploringly at Hoshi. "Help me out, damn it!"

"You started it."

"Wish I hadn't!"

"Tia..." Hoshi began, trying to have mercy on her friend. "How do you feel about Trip?" She was silent for a long time.

"I do know not. An Auran he is not, but makes me feel..."

"Feel what?" She looked down, her face coloring a bright golden hue.

"I do think appropriate is this for women to be discussing not!" She whispered.

"Oh, this is going to be interesting." Elizabeth mused. "What is inappropriate?"

"The feelings that a woman...for a...man...has. Women discuss these things among themselves not!"

"Among humans, it's done all the time." Tia looked at her, shocked.

Sensing it was time to change the subject, before they got too far along and said something that could not be retreated from, Hoshi tried a different tack.

"Let's say that an Auran woman has feelings for an Auran man, what happens? Does she tell him?"

"She have to does not. He knows."

"How?" She looked from one to the other, and then sped up from between them. They hurried to catch up. "Tia?" She stopped, unable to meet their eyes.

"He knows; that all is! He knows!" She was blushing furiously, pressing her fingertips to her eyes, unwilling to look at them..

"All right, we're sorry. We're obviously stepping on some cultural imperative. We'll stop!" Hoshi remembered the last time Tia had reacted like this, weeks ago, and figured she finally understood why. "Only, human males don't 'know'. That's all I'll say."

Tia stared at Hoshi, very obviously trying to wrap her mind about the concept. "Human males know what their females feel do not? Then how let them know when you find one...interesting do you?"

"Most times we have to come right out and say so. Human males can be pretty dense."

"But what if the female does feel what the male does not?"

"Well, that's what heartbreak is all about." Elizabeth told her.

Tia took a few moments to get through this, and then laughed brokenly. "I so kalriis...perverted feel to like this talking be."

"Thanks."

She hesitated, but Hoshi gave her no time to give in to confusion. "Go ahead."

"I was..." She could feel her face heating in a golden blush, pressing her fingertips lightly to her eyes in an attempt to keep them from seeing her eyes, and hating herself for it. She had always blushed so easily! But she had to press on, finding it actually easier if she couldn't see them. "If you...if feel you...attracted a man to, what do you would?"

Hoshi hesitated, trying to come up with a fair answer. This was not the time to go into seduction techniques, and all the million and one things that had developed over centuries. "Simplest thing? I would tell him. Flat out. No games, no tricks. I'd speak my mind." Tia dropped her hands, only now trusting herself to look up at the woman.

"And if he said 'no'?"

"I'd look for a friend, like Liz, and talk to her. Try to get over the hurt, and figure out what I did wrong."

"Even if...even if you to talk to her about lialu...having sex...with him were?"

"Even then."

She thought it over and finally shook her head, whispering: "So kinky."

She could not understand why both women laughed so hard.


	3. Surprise

Trip arrived at his quarters in a most unusual frame of mind. Tia Anlor's inadvertent revelation of his 'surprise' birthday party at least assured that when it did happen he would not be lounging about in his undershorts. On the other hand, he would have to feign an appropriate degree of surprise, something he was rarely good at.

He couldn't bring himself to be annoyed at her. She had, all unwittingly, done him a good service. Besides, he could never see himself even remotely annoyed with the intoxicating young woman. Not when he'd spent every spare minute reveling in her company. He wasn't sure how she felt about him, and he was not going to jeopardize anything by screwing up in speaking out of turn, but he knew exactly how he felt about her!

She haunted his waking moments and visited his dreams. She spiced every moment they spent together with the wonder of new discovery, and he cherished every chance he had to spend any time at all with her. And he was certainly not going to ruin it by telling her how he felt.

He'd had enough of those disastrous moments in his life, thank you. He was not going to screw up this time!

He was saved from the burden of any more musing by the chime at his door. 'This is it,' he thought, putting on his most vulnerable face, ready to be shocked when he opened the door.

It was just as well that he was prepared for surprise, for the sight of Tia Anlor standing alone in the hall, wearing the flame red gown he'd seen her in earlier, was not what he had been expecting. But the sight of her, so stunning in the red gown and her natural golden tones, was certainly enough to buoy his spirits. "You look more beautiful than ever!" The words were out of his mouth before he could think, but he would not have recalled them for the universe.

"Thank you, Shar-les." She said softly, shyly, looking down, unable to meet his eyes.

"Well, come in. Come in!" As birthdays went, this was shaping up to be an excellent one. As she entered, and he closed the door after her, she felt his eyes stroking her body. The gown, for what there was of it, was completely open in the back, only two strips of scarlet material in front meeting behind her long golden hair. It was low and hugging at her hips to flare out to a floor length gown just held off the deck by her red high heeled slippers. Against her golden skin tones, it was a powerful combination.

She clearly wore nothing more, and for an instant his mind shot back to the moment in the Infirmary, not hours after coming aboard, when she'd switched from patient's gown to her own clothes by casually and unconcernedly stripping the former from her body and providing him with both an excellent view of her undraped body and his first major coronary in the same moment.

It was his dramatic introduction to the mores of a culture that had no particular sense of modesty as espoused by humans. The Aurans wore what clothing was needed for protection or warmth, but the concept of keeping certain parts covered, the so-called 'private parts' among humans, simply did not exist in their culture. It would take a lot of getting used to.

"Shar-les, I...Do you...I..."

"Yes?"

But then she approached him, putting her arms around him and drawing him close, coming up on her toes to touch her lips to the side of his neck. At all other times she had put her lips to his wrist, just finding the beat of his pulse. It was never a kiss, just the touch of her lips.

It had been one of the first introductions to Auran ways of greeting, and he noticed that over time it became more prolonged, the touch of her lips to the beat of his pulse. He'd wondered if he should repeat the gesture, but she never seemed to expect it, so he had not tried.

As a good ole Southern gentleman, he felt he should respond in kind by kissing her hand, but as she had never kissed him he felt it a very bad idea to try.

But now her lips lay almost feathery soft against his neck, and an electric tingle chased up and down his body, but still she did not kiss him, though the touch was considerably more intimate than any they had shared. But it was not a kiss, though the intensity of the tingling that shot through his body, chasing itself up and down him, made it even more intimate. He just never was sure how to respond, or even if he should. Was it woman to man, was it intimate for them, was he cracking up?

She drew back, lowering herself down to her high heels. "Happy birthday, Shar-les." She whispered. Her golden eyes lingered on his, and he wished he knew what she was looking for, or trying to tell him. Should he kiss her?

She stepped back, and asked without the distress a human woman might show if he had cocked it up: "Like you the dress?" She spun slowly to give him a good look.

"It's lovely."

"And..." She stopped, unable to say it. She knew what she wanted to ask him, but the English words escaped her. She knew, in Auran, what she wanted to say, knew she could turn on the UT and say them, but for so long she had resisted the crutch of the machine, and was not about to fall back on it now. She stepped back. "Yvet dupris akiir?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Ask I...enjoy the view do you?"

"Yes. I said it's very lovely."

She stopped, confused by his reaction. Maybe she was not sensing him as well as she thought.

"Shar-les, may I a question ask you?"

"Of course."

"I..." She wasn't sure how to say it. "I..." She felt like a pervert. A woman simply did not say this to a man, despite Hoshi Sato's assurance and advice. "I..." She looked away, frustrated and embarrassed.

"Well, so far the ayes have it." She turned completely from him, her voice trembling.

"Do you mock me, Shar-les? That a nice thing is to do not!"

"Oh, no. I'd never mock you." He stepped closer, trying to get her to turn to him or move around where he could see her. "I'm just trying to understand, and doing a pretty poor job at it."

"If ask you something I do, you think a pervert I am will you not?"

"Never!" She took a shuddering breath, and when she turned he was surprised to find that there were tears trickling down her golden cheeks. "Tia, why are you crying?"

"I want to do not, but so dirty this feel makes me! It is natural not!"

"What if you don't ask me?"

"Oh, feel so much better I would if I did not!"

"Then don't. Maybe we'll find the answer without your having to ask." She blushed deeply gold, turning away, covering her eyes with her fingertips, not wanting him to see her.

"So dirty I feel just asking having thought of." He reached out, trying to gently turn her back so she would look at him.

"You're not dirty. I'm not quite sure what's going on, but I do know that. Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out without your having to ask—I hope. In the meantime, why don't you just relax? Get comfortable, do whatever you need to unwind and relax. I'm going to change out of this uniform, and I'll be right back."

"I may teelriis...um, in your tongue get comfortable?"

"I said so, didn't I? Look, let's have a relaxing evening, and we'll work everything out in its own time, o.k.?"

"O.k. Thank you, Shar-les." He stepped away toward the inner room, and then stopped.

"Have I ever told you how incredibly sexy you make my name sound?" She smiled.

"Shar-les."

"I'll be right back. Just make yourself comfortable and relax."

When he was gone she did feel more relaxed, but since he had explicitly given her permission for teelriis, for a relaxing of her attire, she would do so and relax. So long as she could enjoy teelriis, she need not worry about conventions here. Reaching for the snap under her hair, she undid it and let the red gown snake down her golden body to the floor. Feeling infinitely better, though she left on the high heeled red slippers in order to be more of a height with him, she stepped out of the red puddle of her gown, picking it up and draping it over the back of the couch.

The chime rang, and she crossed the room, pushing the button to open the door. Jonathan, Malcolm, Travis, Phlox, T'Pol, Hoshi and Elizabeth stood in the hall, laden with trays of food, several liquid refreshments and assorted wrapped gifts. With the exception of T'Pol each of them greeted the nude golden Auran with expressions of astonishment. Several eyes stroked her body, again with the exception of T'Pol, and in this case a very carefully restrained Archer, whose eyes were locked very firmly on Tia's.

"Galyas!" She exclaimed, delighted. In the chaos of emotions she had actually forgotten the party! "Klusel, lu res! I mean, 'come in' will you?" Not a single one of them could find an answer to that, and en mass they entered, considerably stunned. The door closed behind them. "Shar-les in the other room is, removing his uniform."

"Obviously he's started the party without us." T'Pol observed. "Clearly, he has already unwrapped his present."

"Sub-Commander!" Archer's voice was as hard as his eyes. He dearly hoped he could limit things to that. From within the cabin, they heard Trip's voice as he approached.

"Tia, who was that at the do...OH MY GOD!"

Trip and his best friends stared at one another from the either side of the unconcernedly nude Auran, not a single person able to speak until Hoshi managed to say weakly; "Surprise."

The strangest party that anyone in the room had ever experienced was under way, and all were having a grand time in spite of, or perhaps because of, its unique beginnings. Trip had been inclined at first to apologize for his friend's earlier disrobed state; he had quickly convinced her to resume the gown, but Archer's rather distinct observation that the Auran came from a different culture where the Earth human mores held no sway effectively eliminated any need. Besides, these were his friends. If there was anyone who needed no explanations, it was each person in this room.

However, he became aware of Tia's absence, which grew more pronounced as it was prolonged. Finally, it was the rather astonishing sight of T'Pol exiting his bedroom that peaked his interest. "T'Pol?" She turned her placid gaze to him. "I can't quite think of how to ask why you were in my bedroom."

The words were enough for silence to crash down upon the room, but the Vulcan had a calm answer. "I was conversing with Crewwoman Anlor."

He couldn't help but ask: "What about?"

"I was enlightening her on the standards of Enterprise protocols and behavior." Something about the chillingly dispassionate way she said that made him go to the door and open it.

Tia sat in a chair, her back to the door, and she was sobbing brokenly, her body wracked by the force of her crying. Shooting T'Pol a deadly look, he entered the room and sealed the door behind him.

"Sub-Commander, will you walk with me please?" Archer suggested, his voice as grim as any had ever heard it. None of them needed to be told that the party was over.

* * *

Trip stood with his back to the door, uncertain how to begin. It was clear she had no idea he was there. She sat weeping in abject misery, completely oblivious to everything except the torment that wracked her soul.

"Tia?"

She gasped, startled, and turned, brushing tears from her face, mortified. To be caught crying was horrible enough; to have him catch her..."Oh, Shar-les, sorry am I. You at your party should be!" He came around where he could look at her.

"Forget the party. Talk to me." She looked down, unable to meet his eyes, deeply ashamed and miserable.

"You hate me should! I ruined everything have! I...too gendlerrs duplendi...too stupid in your language am to even comprehend 'surprise', and ruined I that. I shamed you have before all your friends by as an Auran behaving instead of a human. I humiliated you and myself have. Again! You should even be forced to look at me not. I will—."

"You'll listen, I hope." He knelt beside the chair. "First off, you didn't ruin anything." She brushed tears from her eyes.

"Your surprise partyâ€”."

"Tia, I have to say that I have never been more surprised than I was this evening! You gave me a shock they could not possibly match!" She laughed with him. "As to your acting like a human rather than an Auran, I couldn't think of anything I want less! I don't want you to act like anything other than what you are!"

She tried to smile, but it was too hard. Her heart was breaking too much. "My behavior to your culture more kalriis is...more perverted is than even I thought in mine I was. To think...was going curlai to...ahhh, 'tell' you I was...how I felt because...I did think you could feel it not!" She cried, unable to hold back her tears. "Now so perverted all of your friends think I am; I all the way should go and that I love you tell you!"

She broke down completely, sobbing into her hands but he could barely believe he'd heard the words. "Tia, what did you say?"

"'I love you' I said! I wish you it could have felt without my being forced to it say, but even though you feel it can not I do love you!" She looked up at him. "Oh Aura, I more than I have loved anyone in my entire life love you and feel it you do not—."

She was astonished to be silenced by his lips on hers as he drew her body close to his. She clung to him, returning feeling for feeling, longing to be able to communicate to him the depths of her emotion. Even if he could not feel it the way an Auran would, perhaps he might be able to feel her love for him and perhaps even feel some of it himself for her.

* * *

Ensign Hoshi Sato was on her way to the bridge the following morning when the turbolift doors opened on the deck above her own and Commander Tucker boarded. "Good morning, Hoshi!" He greeted her with a delighted smile.

"Good morning. You're in a good mood."

"Shows, doesn't it?"

"I just figured after last evening, when we left, it didn't look like things were going well."

"Well, let's say they improved."

"I'm glad to hear that. Tia doesn't deserve to have T'Pol walk all over her."

"No, she doesn't. But we talked for a while after you were gone; Tia and I. Got some things into the open."

"Really? That's good. She's still struggling with English, though."

"I know, and I don't know a word of Auran." The doors opened to the Bridge. "But after last evening, she and I; we're learning a whole new language!" He turned toward his station, a good-old-boy grin on his face.


End file.
